SRINAGAR: Holiday on account of ‘Shab-i-Miraj’ shall be held on Thursday instead of February 7, government announced on Monday.  

“In partial modification of Government Order No. 1582-JK(GAD) of 2023 dated: 11.12.2023, it is hereby ordered that the holiday on account of Shab-i-Miraj shall now be observed on 08th of February, 2024 (Thursday) instead of 07th of February, 2024 (Wednesday), in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir,” the government said in an order, a copy of which lies with GNS. (GNS)

SRINAGAR: A person was killed and four others injured after a Tempo traveller they were on board skidded off a road in Kokernag area in south Kashmir's Anantnag district on Wednesday evening.

An official told GNS that a Tempo traveller bearing registration number HR55AM 5306 skidded off the road at Daksum Kokernag area, resulting in on spot death of one and injuries to four other occupants in the vehicle. 

"The injured persons were taken to PHC Larnoo from where they were shifted to SDH Kokernag and further referred to GMC Anantnag for advanced treatment", the official said. 

Confirming it, a police official told GNS that a case has been registered in this regard for further investigations. (GNS)

SRINAGAR: Police on Friday said that a Lashkar-e-Toiba militant was killed in Chotigam of Shopian district, who according to police was involved in killing of army personnel, two labourers and Kashmiri pandiths.

In a handout to GNS, the police said that acting on specific information regarding presence of terrorist in village Chotigam area of Shopian, a joint cordon and search operation was launched in the wee hours by Police, Army (34RR) and CRPF (178Bn) in the said area.

According to police spokesman, during the search operation, as the joint party approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding terrorist fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party, which was retaliated effectively, leading to an encounter. In the ensuing encounter, 01 terrorist was killed and his body was retrieved from the site of encounter. He has been identified as Bilal Ahmed Bhat son of Ghulam Rasool Bhat resident of Chek Cholan, affiliated with proscribed terror outfit LeT.

As per police records the killed terrorist was involved in several terror crime cases including killing of local army personnel namely Umer Fayaz son of Fayaz Ahmad Parray resident of Sudsan Kulgam, hurled grenade upon non-local labours in Hermain, resulting in on spot death of two labourers. He was also involved in killing of  Kashmiri pandith namely Sunil Kumar Bhat son of Sri G Bhat & injuring other Kashmiri pandit Pretimber Nath son of Arjun Nath Bhat, both residents of  Chotigam Shopian. He was also involved in attack on local Bal Krishan @Sonu resident of Chotigam. Moreover, he was involved in instigating local youth to join terrorist ranks and induced 12 local youth into the ranks of terrorists, he said.

 Besides other terror crimes, he was also involved in killing of arrested terrorist who was leading the search party during a CASO at Nowgam in the year 2022, he said.

Incriminating materials, arms & ammunition including 01 AK series rifle, 03 magazines were recovered from the site of encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other terror crimes, he said.

In this regard, Police have registered a case under relevant sections of law and investigation has been initiated. People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared off of all the explosive materials, if any, reads the statement. (GNS)

Replying to the discussion on the Bill, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 & The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2023 will provide justice to those who were betrayed, insulted and ignored for 70 long years.

"The Bill that I have brought here pertains to bringing justice and providing rights to those against whom injustice was done, who were insulted and those who were ignored", he said.

Talking about the merit on the Bill, two seats will be reserved for Kashmiri migrant community members, and one seat for people displaced from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. For the first time, 9 seats will be reserved for SC/ST communities.

Shah added that earlier there were 37 seats in Jammu, now there are 43 and there were 46 in Kashmir, now there are 47 and in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK), 24 seats have been reserved since PoK is ours.

The Home Minister said "Pakistan attacked Kashmir in 1947 in which around 31,789 families were displaced...10,065 families were displaced during the wars of 1965 and 1971.

"A total of 41,844 families were displaced during these three wars of 1947, 1965 and 1969. This bill is an attempt to give rights and representation to those people" he added.

Shah said that the Bill also provides rights and representation to Kashmiri Pandits who were displayed within their own country.

He said according to today's figures, 46,631 families and 1,57,967 people were displaced within their own country and this bill is to give them rights and representation" he said.

On the issue of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, Amit Shah said, " Under the Narendra Modi government, the total incidents of terrorism registered have been around 2,000, it marks a 70% reduction in the incidents of terrorism".

"During the 1994-2004 period, a total of 40,164 incidents of terrorism were registered" he said in the house.

He also informed that during the 2004-2014 period, a total of 7,217 incidents of terrorism took place.

The Home Minister said the since the abrogation of Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir saw an unprecedented transformation under the Modi-led government.

Shah added that the root cause of separatism, the root cause of terrorism was nothing but Article 370".

He said that , "Those who say what happened after the removal of Article 370?... On August 5-6, 2019, their voices, which were not heard for years, were heard by PM Modi and today they are getting their rights".

Slamming Congress and first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru, the Minister said Jammu and Kashmir suffered due to 2 blunders committed by the former, first announcing a ceasefire and then taking the Kashmir issue to the United Nations.

He added that had Jawaharlal Nehru taken the right steps, PoK would have been part of India now; it was a historic blunder". (UNI)

SRINAGAR: A labourer died after getting stuck in a stone crusher machine in Rakh Shalina in Lasjan area of central Kashmir's Srinagar district this afternoon, officials said.

The officials told Kashmir Scroll that one Owais Ahmad Katoch, son of Abdul Rasheed Katoch, resident of Ramban got stuck in stone crusher 'Shaheen Stone Crusher', resulting in his instant death.

The body has been evacuated to SMHS Srinagar for medico-legal formalities, they said. Meanwhile a police official has confirmed to Kashmir Scroll about the death of the labourer in the incident. (KS)

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Police in Kupwara booked eleven persons under PSA (PIT NDPS) accused in involvement in drug peddling in the north Kashmir district. 

An official in the knowhow of things told GNS that the accused have been booked for their unrelenting and incorrigible involvement in drugs’ trafficking in the district. 

The accused persons include; Syed Azhar ul Haq @Azhar son of Syed Nazir Hussain, of Kachama Kralpora; Mohd. Rafiq Hajam, son of Ab Raheem Hajam, of Keran Payeen; Asif Ahmad Khan, son Mohammad Yousuf Khan, of Gundsana Hayhama; Mumtaz Ahmad Khan, son of Ab Rashid Khan, of Halmatpora Kupwara; Talib Ahmad Shah, son of Bashir Ahmad Shah, of Harkarpora Awoora; Ahmad Hayat Mir, son of Muhammad Hayat Mir, of Darpora Lalpora; Bilal Ahmad Ganai @Hammad, son of Lt. Ali Mohammad Ganai, of Gugloosa; Nissar Ahmad Khan, son of Anaytullaha Khan, of Shartpora Hayhama Kupwara; Bazil Ahmad Mir @Bazil Mir, son of  Manzoor Ahmad Mir, of Khurhama Kupwara; Abdul Majeed Kumar, son of Ab Rahim Kumar, of Drugmulla Kupwara and Aftab Hussain Shah, son of Altaf Hussain Shah, of Takya Bhadarkote Karnah. 

“More dossiers in respect of some several identified drug peddlers are being prepared for their detention under the stringent Act”, the official said. (GNS)

SRINAGAR: Criminals have found an innovative method to loot money from naïve people by using computer-generated voice sounds of victims’ friends and relatives. All this they are doing with the help of Artificial Intelligence based applications.

Jammu Kashmir Police in this regard have issued an advisory asking people to stay alert.

“The Artificial Intelligence-based voice cloning is the new cyber crime in news. Apple Ios7 and various apps and sites like Heyge, Murf and Resemble Al etc. are being used for voice cloning,” police in advisory has noted.

The advisory reads that the criminals are using computer generated voice sound to act as friends and relatives and in the process, money can be lost.

Sharing the modus operandi, police said that the Ai-ml (artificial intelligence/ machine learning) model learns the patterns and characteristics from the person’s voice recordings. (speech patterns, accents, voice inflection and even breathing).

Police stated that learning includes pronunciation of words, tone of the voice and emotions. Now criminals use this Al-ml model to convert text to speech as it generates a waveform to represent the sound of any person.”“

The computer-generated call is then used by the criminal to call his/her relatives or friends and based upon the familiarity of the voice, the victim ends up paying the money,” he said.

Police however, spreading awareness on the concern said that the receiver must listen carefully to unnatural pause or robotic speech styles, look for errors in pronunciation or speaking tone.

“The voice can be compared with the original person and notice if the voice lacks emotional expression or difference.” 

“The receiver must always try to call the original person with the saved number to recheck, adding, “the voice sample or recordings shall not be shared to an unknown person while limiting access to sensitive voice recordings or audio files.” (KNT)

SRINAGAR: A 6-year-old girl was mauled to death by a leopard in Nichama Rajwar village in Handwara of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Saturday evening.

Reports reaching GNS said that one Subhat Jan Daughter of Ab Ahad Mir was pounced upon by a leopard while she was playing outside her home in Nichama Rajwar. 

The beast reportedly dragged the girl into dense forests. Alerted by the cries, the family and locals chased the leopard and retrieved the girl in critical condition. 

The girl was evacuated to GMC Handwara where the doctors declared her as dead on arrival.

The incident has created panic among the villagers and have demanded authorities to trap the leopard to avoid any such incident in future. (GNS)

SRINAGAR: Questioning August 5, 2019 decisions, Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone on Wednesday questioned how the Governor can give concurrence on behalf of more than one crore people of Jammu & Kashmir.

Talking to reporters outside the  Supreme Court, Lone wondered whether the Governor is a super-human being who can sign on behalf of one crore people of J&K.

J&K’s then governor Satya Pal Malik had given concurrence on behalf of the J&K Government for constitutional changes effected by the Union Government on August 5 & 6 in 2019.

Lone, who was flanked by party spokesperson Adnan Ashraf Lone, said that improvement in law and order is not a new thing and cannot be used to justify abrogation of Article 370.

Questioning August 5, 2019 decisions, Lone said that the Constituent Assembly of Jammu & Kashmir can only take decisions on Article 370.

“There was so much political arrogance that the Legislative Council which existed at that time was not even consulted,” he said.

People Conference has challenged August 5, 2019 decisions in the Supreme Court. Advocate Rajeev Dhavan is arguing on behalf of the party in the case. (KNO)

SRINAGAR: A motorcycle borne person was killed and two others injured in a collision involving a tipper and a motorcycle in Bijbehara area in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district this afternoon, officials said.

They told GNS that a tipper (JK03M-1190) collided with a bike (JK15-4617) at Doonipora Sangam in Bijbehara, leaving at least three persons, riding on the motorcycle, injured. 

“The injured persons were evacuated to SDH Bijbehara, where one of them was declared as brought dead on arrival”, they said. 

The deceased has been identified as Mehraj-ud-Din Parray son of Ghulam Rasool and the injured as Yaseen Parray (25) son of Bashir Ahmed Parray and Waseem Ahmad Bhat son of Ali Mohammad Bhat – all residents of Sumbal Sonawari in Bandipora. 

Confirming it, a police official told GNS that a team is on the site to collect necessary details. (GNS)

SRINAGAR: Police on Saturday arrested a private security guard for assaulting a child in central Kashmir’s Srinagar district.

In a tweet, Srinagar police wrote, "One private security guard of 'new nursing college' hostel namely Mubarak Hussain Hafiz S/o Abdul Rashid Hafiz R/o Brein Nishat arrested for assaulting a child in premises. In this regards FIR no 26/2023 u/s 323,341 of IPC registered in Karan Nagar PS, reads the tweet. (GNS)

SRINAGAR: A militant managed to escape after hurling grenade in which three persons including a soldier were injured in Athlan Gadole of Kokernag, officials said on Thursday.

They told GNS that there was lone Militant hiding in the area and he threw grenade on joint team of Police and army which had launched cordon and search operation in the area amid input about presence of militants late last evening.

They said lone Militant was hiding in the area and he managed to fled away taking advantage darkness.

Also three persons were injured in the grenade blast and were evacuated to hospital, they said. Among the injured include two civilians and an army soldier. There condition is stated to be stable, they added. (GNS).